Washboard.



No. 632,2l0. Patent ed Aug. 29, I899.

H. J. TUTTLE.

WA S H B 0A R D (Application filed Dec. 30, 1898.)

(No Model.)

Witnesses A Zia/"may.

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STATES ATENT HORATIO J. TUTTLE, OF GOVANSTOWN, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- IIALF TO LElVIS O. TUTTLE, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

WASHBOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,210, dated August 29, 1899.

Application filed December 30, 1898. Serial No. 700,695. (No model.)

To (all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, I'IORATIO J. TUTTLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Govanstown, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWVashboards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in washboards having a rubbing-surface composed of twisted or coiled wires.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of washboard having metal cross-bar rubbing-surfaces that will admit of being used on both sides.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a washboard constructed in accordance with this invention, the board being shown with some of the cross-wire strands removed in order to illustrate the brace-rod and the means for securing the ends of the wire strands. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the board. Fig. 3 is a perspective sectional View, on a large scale, of one side bar and illustrates the manner in which the cross-Wire strands are held in position. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the removable soap-tray, one end being in section. Fig. 5 illustrates, on a large scale, the brace-rod which centrally supports the wire strands.

In the drawings, A designates the side bars, connected by the top strip 1) and three crossbars 0, c, and 0 which latter are mortised into the side bars and vertically considered are centrally located in the side bars, so as to leave at opposite sides of each bar the same marginal edge.

The side bars A are provided on their inner faces a with vertical grooves d. Said grooves in the present instance extend the entire length of the side bars between the cross-bars c and c and said grooves are also centrally located in the side bars. When the board is in use, it will be understood that water will flow into the groove d. It is therefore obvious that if the cross-wires f were supported in the wood grooves when the fabric is being rubbed on the wire surface the wires would have a tendency to revolve or turn, and such tendency to turn and twist while the wood is wet and soft would soon mutilate the wood groove sufficient to allow the wires to become loose. In order to overcome this difficulty, a metal channel 8, in the present instance substantially U-shaped in cross-section, fits in each of the wood grooves (l, and said metal channel receives the ends of the cross-wiresf and prevents contact of the wires with the wood. The edges 6' of the metal channel project from the wood groove and grip the ends of the cross-wires. It will be seen that by this construction the ends of the cross-wires f are firmly held in position and will not become loose.

Near the bottom the two side bars A are connected by a rod g, said rod being provided at or near its center with a projecting pin h. A brace-rod t is provided at its lower end with a lateral eye j, which takes over the pin h, and at its upper end the brace-rod has another eye 70.

The middle cross-bar c at or near its center has a hole Z, and a bolt m passes through said hole and also through the upper eye It on the brace-rod, and a thumb-nut 'n on the bolt secures the brace-rod to the bar 0. This brace-rod extends up and down the center, and its object is to support the under side of the cross-wires f when the operator rubs the fabric on the rubbing-surface formed by said cross-wires, and it will be seen that said bracerod is readily detachable by removing the thumb-nut 'n, and when it is desired to reverse the board the brace-rod can be shifted and placed on the under side of the board.

A removable soap-tray O has position above the cross-wires. This tray is made of sheet metal or other suitable material, and at its top edge terminates in a hook p, and its bottom edge is curved or rolled to form another hook q, and between the two hooks the tray sags or curves down, as at 0. This soap-tray is closed at either end by a vertical wall r. The lower hook edge has a cut-away s, which accommodates the head of the bolt on through the middle cross-bar. It will be seen by referring to Fig. 2 that the soap-tray is held in position by the upper hook edge 1) taking over the cross-bar c, and the lower edge q rests on the cross-bar c. This construction of soaptray and two cross-bars c 0 provides for the Whose ends fit in the said U-shaped metal channels and are gripped thereby; and a removable central vertical brace-rod having at each end an eye by which it is detachably connected with the said cross-bar and crossrod to admit of being shifted and support the cross-Wires on either side, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

I-IORATIO J. TUITLE.

\Vitnesses:

CHARLES B. MANN, J12, Gno. KOETHER. 

